Kete Ioane is a Cook Islands

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...

 politician and former Cabinet Minister

Cook Islands Cabinet

The Cabinet of the Cook Islands is the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch of the Cook Islands Government. It consists of the Prime Minister and a number of other Ministers, who are collectively responsible to Parliament....

. He is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party

Democratic Party (Cook Islands)

The Democratic Party is a liberal political party in the Cook Islands. It is currently the Opposition party in the Cook Islands Parliament.-Early years:...

.

Ioane was born in Amuri

Amuri, Cook Islands

Amuri is a town on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. It is located at 18°52'0S 159°46'0W....

 on the island of Aitutaki

Aitutaki

Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura, Ararau and Utataki, is one of the Cook Islands, north of Rarotonga. It has a population of approximately 2,000. Aitutaki is the second most visited island of the Cook Islands. The capital is Arutanga on the west side.-Geography:Aitutaki is an "almost...

. He attended Amuri and Araura Primary school and Aitutaki Junior High School. He has a long career as a public servant, first in the Agriculture Department, later in the Police Department. He was first elected to Parliament

Parliament of the Cook Islands

The Parliament of the Cook Islands is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand colonial rule, it became the national legislature on independence in 1965....

 as member for the Vaipeka-Vaipae-Tautu electorate

Vaipae-Tautu (Cook Islands electorate)

Vaipae-Tautu is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. Its current representative is Kete Ioane, who has held the seat since 1999....

 in the 1999 elections

Cook Islands general election, 1999

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 16 June 1999 to elect 25 MPs to the Parliament. The Cook Islands Party won 11 seats, the Democratic Alliance Party 10 seats, and the New Alliance Party 4 seats....

.

From 1999 to 2005 Ioane served as party whip. Shortly before the 2006 election

Cook Islands general election, 2006

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on September 27, 2006 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The Democratic Party remained in power, winning 15 of 24 seats. A total of 8,497 voters turned out to vote....

 he was appointed to Cabinet. His appointment later became the subject of an electoral petition, as rival Cook Islands Party

Cook Islands Party

The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the Islands' politics since 1965....

 candidate George Pitt claimed it had been made solely to provide Ioane with extra campaign funds. The petition was ultimately rejected, but Prime Minister Jim Marurai

Jim Marurai

Jim Marurai is a Cook Islands politician and former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Personal life:...

 was criticised by the Chief Justice over the appointment.

Ioane held the portfolios of Minister for the Environment, Justice, and Parliamentary Services until he resigned them in December 2009 in protest at the sacking from Cabinet of Democratic Party leader Terepai Maoate

Terepai Maoate

Sir Terepai Tuamure Maoate, KBE was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 18 November 1999 to 11 February 2002. He is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party...

.

Ioane failed to win re-election in the 2010 elections

Cook Islands general election, 2010

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 17 November 2010 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The elections were won by the Cook Islands Party, which won 16 of the 24 seats...

.

External links

• Profile at Cook Islands Parliament.